AUBURN - Immersed in what is their most important 11 game-game stretch of the season, the Auburn Doubledays completed the first three perfectly.
Jill Connor / The Citizen
Williamsport catcher Scott Thomas misses the tag on Auburn's Mark Sobolewski at home plate during the second inning at Falcon Park, Sunday. Auburn's Chris Demons looks on.
Williamsport catcher Scott Thomas misses the tag on Auburn's Mark Sobolewski at home plate during the second inning at Falcon Park, Sunday. Auburn's Chris Demons looks on.
With Saturday night's game against Williamsport called official by the league hours after umpires decided to suspend it, the Doubledays earned the 7-6 win.
On Sunday, Auburn rubbed some salt in Williamsport's wounds with a 5-2 win at Falcon Park. The win earned the Doubledays a sweep and some separation in the Pinckney Division standings, as Auburn now sits alone in second place, just three games behind Jamestown, where the Doubledays are headed next. On Thursday, the Crosscutters will be surely seeking some redemption when the Doubledays come to their park.
“It's been very important for us to play as well as we possibly can,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “Hopefully we'll go into Jamestown playing as well as we have.”
Shortstop Bryan Kervin had a breakout night in what was Auburn's fifth straight win, with three hits and as many RBIs in a contest that was tight until the seventh inning. Kervin helped the Doubledays strike first on the scoreboard, with an RBI single in the ninth that scored Mark Sobolewski. Off Crosscutters' starter Justin De Fratus (3-3), Brian Van Kirk smacked in two more runs in the third on a long single to center field.
Williamsport ruined the shutout in the fourth however, when Marcus Walden gave up two straight hits before allowing two more sacrifices, by Jeremy Hamilton and Bryan Frew. Both starters lasted five innings, but it was Waldon who finally earned his first win. He finished with four hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
“This was a very well-pitched ball game, really on both sides,” Holmberg said. “Walden has pitched very well in his last two outings, when he looked for awhile like he was in the bottom of a pit. He's come up and done well and (Hunter) Moody did a very good job in two innings.”
Auburn newcomer Moody made his first appearance on the mound for the Doubledays in relief of Walden and gave Auburn fans another arm to get excited about. Moody, a lefty side-armer, faced just six batters in his two frames, striking out two. Lights out closer Bobby Bell finished the game and earned his fourth save of the season, striking out two in as many innings.
“I wanted to have our best reliever out there and sweep these three, to win this ball game Holmberg said. ”Bobby Bell was outstanding once again.“
With good pitching on both sides, it was Kervin's two-out, two-run single in the seventh that gave the Doubledays all the cushion they'd need. Kervin's hit blooped just a few feet in front of D'Arby Myers in center field, but it was enough to send in lightning quick runners Sobolewski and Chris Hopkins.
“Should that ball have been caught? Yes. Was it? No,” Holmberg said. “It was one of those fluke hits, but it was a big hit at the time.”
“I guess he lost it in the lights a little bit, but luckily it came in to score two runs,” Kervin said. “We definitely had confidence in our offense that we'd be able to come around and get it done.”
Now the Doubledays will try to end July with a bang and continue their win streak right into August. Their five wins in a row ties their longest win streak of the season. Auburn returns home on Sunday to face Jamestown in a tight two-game series.
“I'm just really happy that we got this sweep,” Kervin said. “We're really looking forward to going out to Jamestown tomorrow. We just need to play good defense and pitch well.”
Notes: With nine hits in all, Auburn's bottom six batters in the lineup earned six of them. Van Kirk and Kervin made up five themselves. ... With another hit and three runs scored, Sobolewski continues to be the hottest hitter for the Doubledays. His average crept to .291 after Sunday's game. ... The Doubledays won five of their six games during this seven-game homestand, the team's longest of the season. That pushed their home record to 12-9, the first time they've had a record above .500 this month. ...The Doubledays are now 19-2 when they lead after seven innings and 16-1 when they score first.
On Sunday, Auburn rubbed some salt in Williamsport's wounds with a 5-2 win at Falcon Park. The win earned the Doubledays a sweep and some separation in the Pinckney Division standings, as Auburn now sits alone in second place, just three games behind Jamestown, where the Doubledays are headed next. On Thursday, the Crosscutters will be surely seeking some redemption when the Doubledays come to their park.
“It's been very important for us to play as well as we possibly can,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “Hopefully we'll go into Jamestown playing as well as we have.”
Shortstop Bryan Kervin had a breakout night in what was Auburn's fifth straight win, with three hits and as many RBIs in a contest that was tight until the seventh inning. Kervin helped the Doubledays strike first on the scoreboard, with an RBI single in the ninth that scored Mark Sobolewski. Off Crosscutters' starter Justin De Fratus (3-3), Brian Van Kirk smacked in two more runs in the third on a long single to center field.
Williamsport ruined the shutout in the fourth however, when Marcus Walden gave up two straight hits before allowing two more sacrifices, by Jeremy Hamilton and Bryan Frew. Both starters lasted five innings, but it was Waldon who finally earned his first win. He finished with four hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
“This was a very well-pitched ball game, really on both sides,” Holmberg said. “Walden has pitched very well in his last two outings, when he looked for awhile like he was in the bottom of a pit. He's come up and done well and (Hunter) Moody did a very good job in two innings.”
Auburn newcomer Moody made his first appearance on the mound for the Doubledays in relief of Walden and gave Auburn fans another arm to get excited about. Moody, a lefty side-armer, faced just six batters in his two frames, striking out two. Lights out closer Bobby Bell finished the game and earned his fourth save of the season, striking out two in as many innings.
“I wanted to have our best reliever out there and sweep these three, to win this ball game Holmberg said. ”Bobby Bell was outstanding once again.“
With good pitching on both sides, it was Kervin's two-out, two-run single in the seventh that gave the Doubledays all the cushion they'd need. Kervin's hit blooped just a few feet in front of D'Arby Myers in center field, but it was enough to send in lightning quick runners Sobolewski and Chris Hopkins.
“Should that ball have been caught? Yes. Was it? No,” Holmberg said. “It was one of those fluke hits, but it was a big hit at the time.”
“I guess he lost it in the lights a little bit, but luckily it came in to score two runs,” Kervin said. “We definitely had confidence in our offense that we'd be able to come around and get it done.”
Now the Doubledays will try to end July with a bang and continue their win streak right into August. Their five wins in a row ties their longest win streak of the season. Auburn returns home on Sunday to face Jamestown in a tight two-game series.
“I'm just really happy that we got this sweep,” Kervin said. “We're really looking forward to going out to Jamestown tomorrow. We just need to play good defense and pitch well.”
Notes: With nine hits in all, Auburn's bottom six batters in the lineup earned six of them. Van Kirk and Kervin made up five themselves. ... With another hit and three runs scored, Sobolewski continues to be the hottest hitter for the Doubledays. His average crept to .291 after Sunday's game. ... The Doubledays won five of their six games during this seven-game homestand, the team's longest of the season. That pushed their home record to 12-9, the first time they've had a record above .500 this month. ...The Doubledays are now 19-2 when they lead after seven innings and 16-1 when they score first.
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